Name-plate for tombstones



- rUNITED STATns-fPATE-NTaOFFIcE.

HOUSTON K. COTTON, OF MOUNT VERNON, OHIO.

NAM E-PLATE FOR TOMBSTONES, 86C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,229, dated July 23,1895.

Application filed May 2, 18911. Serial No. 509,811. (No model.)

V .To a/ZZ whom it may concer-1o: i

Be it known that I, HOUSTON K. COTTON, a citizen of .the United States,residing at Mount Vernon, in the county ofV Knox and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Name-Plates forTombstones and Monuments; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention'relates to an improvement in name-plates; and it consistsof a bent or angular-shaped plate -having a suitable inscriptionthereon, and which is to be attached to 'tombstones and monuments, aswill be more fully described hereinafter.

Figure 1 is a perspective of a plate which embodies my invention. Fig. 2is a vertical section of a tombstone, showing the manner of attaching myname-plate thereto. Fig. 3 is a front view of a portion of the monumentor tombstone, showing the name-plate attached thereto.

B represents a tombstone or monument of any desired construction, and Amy nameplate. This name-plate may be made of sheet metal or any othermaterial that may be preferred, and is made in the angular shape shown,so as to adapt it to be placed in position between the base stone andthe tombstone or monument, as shown in Fig. 2.

The material out of which the name-plate is made should be elastic, andthe vertical portion of the plate should be bent backward I a suitabledistance, so that when the tombstone or monument is placed in positionon the base stone, and embracing the horizontal portion of the platebetween, this slightly-inclined vertical portion of the plate is sprungback into a vertical position and clings to the front of the stone ormonument in proportion to its elasticity. The plate thus formed,together with the elasticity of the same, prevents the vertical portionof the plate from standing out from the front of the stone at its upperedge, enables Va much lighter and cheaper material to be used than couldotherwise be done, and causes the plate to adhere tightly to the frontof the tombstone or monu ment. Strips of lead O are always used bevtween the different parts of the monument, both to level them and form atight joint between the parts, and it is upon this lead that I largelydepend in holding the plates in position. The iiange or horizontalportion is always corrugated or roughened by having holes punchedthrough it or otherwise, so that it'will be-held more firmly between thewedge lead (which is always used in setting tombstones and monuments)and the upper stone.

The plate can be attached to the tombstone or monument While the same isbeing placed in position on the base stone at the time it is erected; orit can be attached after it is completed by inserting the flange orhorizontal part between the tombstone and the base stone, and'then drivethe wedge lead under the iiange, which forces it against the lower sideor bottom of the upper stone; and. the flange being roughened, as abovestated, is so firmly held between the upper stone and the wedge leadthat it cannot be removed by ordinary force.

The object of my invention is to provide a name-plate which can beattached toA tombstones and monuments, and which willI display the nameof the maker where such name is not allowed or cannot be cut into thestone or monument.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- A tombstone or monument,.made of two or more pieces, and the pieces of lead placed between theparts, combined with an angular name plate made of` elastic material,having its outer vertical portion bent back out of a right angle, sothat when the plate is forced into position between the two parts of themonument the vertical portion will be made to hug its face,substantially as shown and described..

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HOUSTON K. COTTON. Witnesses:

FRANK MOORE, J. S. SoHooLEn,

